There are
two reasons why you should check this band out (well in fact there are
many reasons...but anyway). The first one is that their music and their
musical skills can't pass unnoticed and therefore you could do yourselves
a favor and discover a star at its birth and the second reason is the very
interesting musical past of Mister Michael Dargis, being the bassist of
Imagika for many years and also forming Cauldron (the first band that featured
Iced Earth's Matt Barlow).
1.FINALLY THE POST OFFICE MADE US A
FAVOR AND I RECEIVED THE DEMO AFTER ALL! NOW, SINCE I DON'T HAVE
A BAND BIO, COULD YOU TELL ME IN A FEW WORDS THE MOST IMPORTANT
MOMENTS OF THE BAND'S HISTORY AND PRESENT THE CURRENT LINE UP? DO ANY OF
THE BAND MEMBERS HAVE EXPERIENCE IN PREVIOUS BANDS AS WELL?
Can you believe it! Thanks for you
patience! How are you doing Nick and Thank You for sharing your time with
me. Well as far as the bands history and line up goes I will sum
it up for you the best I can. It was only supposed to be a studio project
between Jim Steele the vocalist and me. I had started writing all of the
music with a drum machine in February of 2001 with me doing all of the
guitar, bass and song arrangements. Most of which didn't even end up on
the demo and will be heard on our debut album. After listening to each
others ideas and seeing our potential we decided to form an actual band.
I myself played the bass guitar with "Imagika" for about eight years and
eventually went back to writing on the guitar to create "Conspiracy" in
2000. Pete Henry which has been friends with Jim for a while played bass
in a group with him called "Steelthorn" in the nineties. He saw our ambitions
and eventually joined the group as a full time bassist. Finding a competent
drummer was not an easy task! We went through a dozen or so only to be
let down by their lack of professionalism and musicianship. Then the last
person to try out was Matt "Maddog" Richmond formerly of "Adams Rocket".
After learning the material from our demo he fit like a glove in the project.
2.HOW DID YOU SELECT THE NAME CONSPIRACY?
WHAT KIND OF CONSPIRACY DO YOU SUGGEST?
I had always thought that would be
a great name for a metal band. It has a sound and look all its own when
you read or say it. Actually at the time of the bands inception, I did
a lot of reading and tried to relate to Jim that everything has some sort
of plan or another and to base our writing around that idea but with a
creative twist.
3.WHICH ARE YOUR OBJECTIVES AS A BAND?
WHICH OF THEM HAVE YOU ALREADY SUCCEEDED AND WHICH DO YOU STILL WAIT TO
ACCOMPLISH?
First off, not to be rock stars but
to be credited as professional, talented musicians with a realistic approach
to the music industry. I think right now in Conspiracy our success has
been based on the abundant amount of original material that we have been
writing for our debut album coming out this Fall 2003. We also have had
a great deal of positive reviews and support from webzines all over the
world. Our future accomplishments are to get Mad Messiah Music going strong
and to help other Metal bands with the same attitude thrive for success.
4.YOUR DEMO CONTAINS 4 SONGS AND I'D
LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO COMPOSE THEM AND WHAT PROCEDURE
DO YOU USE WHILST COMPOSING SONGS? DO YOU CREATE A PARTICULAR ATMOSPHERE
IN ORDER TO CREATE MUSIC?
This is actually quite an interesting
piece of band history Nick. This is in part to your first question. When
we where auditioning drummers there where two individuals that we actually
wrote two songs from the demo with," Let's Get Crazy" and "Believe". Trapped
was done an a drum machine then learned by the drummer that recorded the
demo with us."Shine" is just a melodic ballad to show our diversity as
song writers. Matt isn't the drummer on the demo. Although I wished he
had been. We did have someone in Conspiracy for a short time but I will
never give this person credit or refer him to anyone in the business due
to his lack of respect. The music for the demo came about just auditioning
drummers for about six months and before pressing the final product Matt
Richmond had just gotten into Conspiracy to complete the line up. I guess
as far as composing and writing it's pretty traditional, I get an idea
in my head start to hum it, get out the drum machine and start hammering
away at it. There isn't any specific ritual I have for creating the band's
music.
5.CAN YOU TELL ME WHICH THEMATOLOGY
DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR LYRICS IN THIS DEMO? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LYRICS
AND WHY DON'T YOU INCLUDE THEM IN THE BOOKLET?
As mentioned earlier the ideas for
the demo just came about while auditioning drummers seeing how the original
material for the demo was written on a drum machine and to complex for
the average person trying out. So Jim would write ideas off the top of
his head that sounded good to fit the ideas during the time we where holding
auditions for drummers. Basically the demo is about having a kickass time
and believing in your music without getting caught up in bad things. Jim
writes about 90% and I write the other 10% of the musics lyrics. We felt
lyrics in a demo wouldn't help only because people in the industry receiving
your material don't have time to read everything in a press kit. We just
kept it to a minimal and made it look professional in the viewers hands.
6.YOUR DEMO IS RELEASED THROUGH MAD
MESSIAH MUSIC THAT BELONGS TO YOU. WILL YOU ALSO RELEASE YOUR FULL LENGTH
ALBUM FROM THIS LABEL? DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER BANDS IN YOUR ROSTER OR IS
IT ONLY YOU?
Yes, the first full length disc
will be released through Mad Messiah Music and once that takes place
I will eventually start to pick up bands under it for distro and promotion.
At this time it is only Conspiracy. I still have a lot of work ahead of
me and it's always been a dream of mine to have my own successful indy
label with "Talented original Metal Bands" that are willing to work hard
at their goals.
7.HAVE YOU SENT THE DEMO TO LABELS
AND ZINES? WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK DID YOU RECEIVE? HOW HAVE THE FANS REACTED
TO YOUR MUSIC? DO YOU THINK THAT METAL FANS HAVE DIFFERENT CRITERIA TO
JUDGE AN ALBUM FROM A METAL REPORTER? WHOSE TASTE DO YOU TRUST THE MOST?
I have sent out well over a few hundred
or so press kits world wide to labels and zines and for what was put into
the demo I have been rather surprised at the positive response the band
has been getting. We are doing very well locally here in our hometown of
Traverse City, Michigan, USA. The fans here in the area have been very
supportive with us promoting the original metal scene locally. For the
most part I think the fans pretty much think with their ears and then the
over all fashion and appearance gets them into the music more. At least
thats what I have been seeing lately but I do have to respect both sides
of the spectrum when it comes to judging a bands sound and image.
8.YOUR MUSIC BROUGHT TO MY MIND BANDS
LIKE ICED EARTH, METAL CHURCH, WARDOG, METALLICA AND SAVATAGE! WHICH IS
YOUR OPINION REGARDING THE ABOVE MENTIONED BANDS? WHICH OTHER BANDS AND
MUSICIANS HAVE INFLUENCED YOU?
I love everyone of those bands and
in fact I was in a band for a short period of time with Matt Barlow back
in 1990 entitled Cauldron before he joined Iced Earth and I left for California
to join Imagika. I love Heavy Metal and all of these bands have been a
great support and influence for me for years. If I where to name a few
of my favorites it would be Nevermore, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Crimson
Glory, Iron Maiden, Metalium, Brainstorm, Grave Digger, Moterhead, Iced
Earth and Saxon. My biggest musician influences are Glen and KK of Priest,
Jon Drenning and Ben Jackson of Crimson Glory,Tony Iommi nad Geezer Butler
of Sabbath, Randy Rhoads, Jeff Waters of Annhilitator, Jeff Loomis of Nevermore,
Chris Oliva of Savatage,Dave Mustaine and Chris Poland of Megadeth to name
few. The list goes on!
9.THERE IS SOMETHING CONTRADICTORY
IN THE U.S. ON ONE HAND YOU HAVE EXTREMELY PROMISING AND GOOD BANDS AND
ON THE OTHER HAND IT SEEMS AS THE FANS OVER THERE HAVE LACK OF METAL EDUCATION,
THUS THEY FOLLOW EVERY TREND. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS HAPPENS? HOW DIFFICULT
ARE THINGS FOR A METAL MUSICIAN IN THE U.S.?
Excellent comment Nick. You could not
of worded it any better, "Lack of Metal Education". Thats why I promote
in other countries because people like you see the music for what it is.
Pure, Raw and true to form and for it to be represented appropriately.
Everyone over here thinks that the only way you will make it big is if
you pierce your face in twenty different places tattoo your entire legs,
neck and arms buy a Fender strat with skate board stickers on it and learn
three one fingered bar chords you are a rock star. "Wow look at me". "Now
I am an idiot". I think too many music and fashion magazines and the curse
of mtv has overkilled the music industry with a bunch of silliness. Some
of the Metal magazines I look through are starting to look more and more
like comic books! Really! I am only being honest not negative. Thats what
it is all about, Fashion, piercings and ink. Everyone wants attention and
I think looking stupid isn't the way of doing it. Writing powerful melodic
strong original material and putting your heart into it and not your tattoo's
is where it's at. I will always stay true to my roots and so will Conspiracy.
10.WHICH IS THE SILLIEST THING YOU
DID IN ORDER TO WIN A WOMAN'S ATTENTION?
Tell my at the time friend which is
now my wife that I will be your slave for life if you marry me! Okay, next
question! Ha! Ha!
11.WHICH IS THE BEST PART IN YOUR MUSIC
AND WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU NEED FURTHER IMPROVEMENT?
My song writing capablities and guitar
playing. I am trying to improve my soloing. I try to spend as much time
with music theory as well as managing Conspiracy. Right now I am into the
Shred fad that is going on right now with many guitar players. I am getting
pretty comfortable with my lead guitar work and you will here it on our
new record.
12.WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO A FAN TO CONVINCE
HIM BUY YOUR RELEASE INSTEAD OF SOMETHING ELSE?
That's kind of a hard question seeing
how there are a lot of real metal bands out there trying to get their music
out to people like us that want to hear it. Well first off I would introduce
myself as the representative of Mad Messiah Music and that way I have the
persons attention and then they usually want to hear more about the label
and the band. It's all about the business and selling yourself. As far
as what to say to an individual, I think I would want to know more about
the Metal they like listen to rather than cram something down their throat
that they know nothing about. Then you have that individual or group of
people's attention. If there is one thing I do not lack is confidence and
a desire to be successful in this industry and to present Conspiracy's
material to everyone professionally.
13.IF YOUR MUSIC WERE AN EMOTION, WHAT
WOULD IT BE? IF IT WERE A PAINTING, WHAT WOULD IT SHOW?
Strong sarcasm, that would be the best
emotion I can think of to describe us. You didn't ask if it was paint by
number or water color! Ha! Ha! Really, I would portray Conspiracy as a
huge thunderstorm raining on every nu- metalers parade!
14.IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO MEET THE
CREATURE THAT CREATED THE UNIVERSE, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM?
Got Metal? For real I would like to
ask him to do away pain,drugs and violence.
15.YOU ARE GRANTED ONE WISH. WHAT WOULD
YOU DO WITH IT?
To have no more taxes! Forever!
16.IF YOU COULD TRAVEL BACK IN TIME,
WHICH HISTORICAL PERIOD WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT AND WHAT WOULD YOU MISS
THE MOST FROM OUR TIMES?
The Roman Empire, I would of love to
have meet Julius Ceasar. I would obviously miss playing Metal in a band
and making love with my beautiful wife.
17.WHAT TITLE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THE
BAND'S CAREER TILL NOW?
Very promising and successful. We still
have a long road ahead of us and our hard work and persistence will pay
off.
18.THANK YOU! HAVE I FORGOTTEN TO ASK
YOU ANYTHING AND YOU'D LIKE TO MENTION?
You are very welcome Nick! I think
you covered a lot of basses and it was a very well done outline for an
interview and I hope to do it again sometime. Keep up the great work and
the very best to You and Your staff at Behind The Viel Webzine and on behalf
of Conspiracy and Mad Messiah Music we would like to Thank You for
the exposure. Watch out for our debut this Fall! http://www.conspiracyrocks.com